Colleges try to ease back-to-school transition for veterans

By PHIL DEVITT

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Posted Jan. 17, 2013 at 1:32 PM

Posted Jan. 17, 2013 at 1:32 PM

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By PHIL DEVITT

Fall River Spirit Editor

Jared Oliver joined the U.S. Air Force in part because he thought college wasn't a good fit for him. He had no idea that serving in the military would lead him back to the classroom several years later.

While taking classes at Fall River's Bristol Community College, the Fairhaven High School graduate realized he lacked goals and wasn't motivated. He talked to a recruiter and, in August of 2001, the man who was born into an Air Force family became the next Oliver to join the branch.

He served for six years as an electronic warfare technician who counseled younger recruits and helped his comrades in physical training.

"The Air Force provided the support and confidence I needed to know I could accomplish any goal I put forth," Oliver said.

Oliver will soon be able to add another distinction to his resume: college graduate. He is in his final year at UMass Dartmouth, where he studies economics and has made the chancellor's list for three consecutive semesters.

"Going back to school, it was tough to get back in the swing of things," Oliver said.

Five Massachusetts colleges say they want to make the transition from the military to academics easier for veterans like Oliver. They came together Jan. 10 at BCC's Elsbree Street campus to urge commonwealth veterans to take advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which guarantees them a free education at any community college or state university.

"Attending college after military service can be disorienting and disconcerting, like a new world," BCC President and veteran John J. Sbrega said, speaking on behalf of CONNECT, a partnership between BCC, Bridgewater State University, UMass Dartmouth, and Cape Cod and Massasoit Community colleges. The schools serve more than 1,200 veterans combined. Massachusetts Veterans' Services Secretary Coleman Nee said the bill, which Congress approved in 2008, has led to an "explosion" in the student-veteran population.

"A lot of veterans are coming back today and taking advantage of the academic environment, some for the first time in a long time," he said. "It may or may not be something they considered before they served, but they see the benefits of the bill."

In addition to Oliver and two other veteran students, Rep. Stephen Lynch and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, chair of the Governor's Advisory Council on Veterans' Services, gave support at the GO PUBLIC! event.

"Veterans of all eras have protected our country, and here in Massachusetts we are committed to ensuring our veterans gain access to the services they have rightfully earned," Murray said.

Attendees learned about the educational benefits available to veterans through a variety of programs and the supports and services offered by the campuses.

All five campuses in CONNECT have offices dedicated to helping veterans with the admissions process and securing the benefits to support their education. Massasoit Community College, for instance, has a one-stop Veterans Center with a dedicated lounge area for studying and socializing, and computer workstations that are Military Common Access Card-enabled.

As of August 2012, while the national unemployment rate dipped to 8.1 percent, the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans stood at 10.9 percent, according to a CONNECT release.